Former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in an Israeli operation in southern Gaza last week, was seen moving inside a tunnel with his wife and children, hours before the deadly October 7 attack on Israel last year. The now-dead Hamas leader was carrying pillows, mattresses, television, and bags inside the tunnel located under their family in Khan Younis, a CCTV footage showed.
Meanwhile, his wife was seen carrying a Hermes bag, which Israel claims is worth $32,000.
Israel said, "Yahya Sinwar's wife was caught sneaking to the tunnels the night before the October 7 attack," claiming she was carrying a Hermes Birkin bag worth $32,000 (Rs 26.88 lakh).
"While Gazans endured hardship under Hamas, Sinwar and his family were shamelessly living in luxury, indulging while sending others to die," Israel said.
Israel shared a screengrab from the video, where Sinwar's wife holds a bag. In the hazy picture, the design on the bag 'appears to be similar' to the Hermes Birkin 40 Black Togo Gold Hardware edition. The Palestinian militant group is yet to contest Israel's claim.
Many on social media, however, dismissed the claim by the Israel military.
The footage was released following Sinwar's death in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in an armour-infantry assault. Israel's 828th Brigade conducted "intelligence-based targeted raids and operations," the Israel Defence Forces said, giving details of the damage assessment, where they found assault rifles and snipers in the hideout and Sinwar's body.
Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari showed photos of the underground compound with toilets, showers, and a kitchen. Food, cash, and documents were also found there.
Hamas, meanwhile, said Sinwar died heroically engaging in battle, calling Hagar's remarks "blatant lies".
Drone footage from earlier this week showed Sinwar critically wounded in his last moments, throwing an object at the drone. The autopsy found that Sinwar was killed by a gunshot to the head, and also found one of his fingers was cut off.
During a year of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Israel Defence Forces had often closed in on Sinwar, but the latter managed to escape. Israel had identified Sinwar's final hiding after the military found "his DNA sample on a tissue with which he blew his nose," said Hagari.
Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel in which over 1,200 people were killed, resulting in a year-long Israeli operation in Gaza, killing over 40,000 including children.
